Paper feed control



Jan. 29, 1935. c. WETSEL PAPER FEED CONTROL Filed April 13, 1954 3 INVENTO 56 BY 6421700 14 2702! A TORNEYS Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Paras man comor. Carlton Wetsei, Springfield, Mam, llllml' to as: mass ram in M catlon sin-ii 1a. 1934, Serial No. mm

4 Claims. (Cl. 192-125) This invention relates to wrapping machines, having particular reference to devices for preventing the delivery of a sheet of wrapping material in cases where there is no article present 5 to be wrapped. Typically, these devices consist in a clutch mechanism through which the wrapper feed mechanism is driven from a suitable vide a mechanism of this character in whichthe engagement and disengagement of the clutch will always occur when the clutch parts are stationary. Additional objects will appear from the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of a wrapping machine as is necessary for an understanding of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the paper feed clutch mechanism on a somewhat larger scale; and

Pig. 8 is a detail corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1 but showing the parts in a different operative position.

The wrapping machine has not been shown in detail, but as shown comprises an intermittently rotated wrapp wheel 10 having a series of four radial pockets 11 and supported on a shaft 12 journaled in a main frame 13. The wheel is driven by gearing 14 from 9. Geneva wheel 15,

the driver '16 of which is driven by gearing 17 from a drive shaft 18. The driver has the usual pins 19 and stop segments 20 cooperating with the slots 21 and abutments 22 of the driven element of the Geneva. By this or similar means the wrapping wheel 10 is rotated intermittently a quarter revolution at a time, bringing its pockets succusively to rest in alignment with a guideway 28. Articles 0 are fed to the machine on a conveyor 24 and are received one by one in pockets 25 of a feeding wheel 26 suitably connected to the wrapping wheel for intermittent rotation in step therewith. After passing an intermediate stop position at the top of the wheel, the articles are brought one by one in alignment with the guideway 28 where they are carried out of the feeding wheel and into the wrapping wheel by an ejecting plunger 27.

A web of wrapping paper in is fed from a suitable supply between feed rolls 30, which deliver it into a guideway 31 intersecting the guideway 5 23. A sheet is severed from the web, each time a fresh length is presented, by any desired form of cutting device. The feed rolls are geared together as is customary, and one of them is driven by gears 32, 33 and 34 from a shaft 35. A 10 driving ratchet 36 is fixed to the shaft and a sleeve 37 is mounted freely on the shaft adjacent the ratchet. The sleeve is driven intermittently as by a chain and sprocket connection 38 from the shaft 12 of the wrapping wheel. This ccn- 15 motion is arranged to cause one rotation of the sleeve 37 for each pocket that is presented by the wrapping wheel, the gearing in this case being of a four to one ratio. Fixed upon the sleeve 37 is an arm 40 having a pawl 41 pivoted 20 to it at 42. Also pivoted to the arm, as at 43. isashoe44havingastud45fixed toitinadirection generally. radial with respect to the pivot 42. Sliding over this stud is a sleeve 46 pivoted to the pawl 4l and having a flange 47 between 26.

which and the shoe is compressed a spring 48. The pawl is limited in its inward motion by the ratchet 36, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and is limited in its outward movement by a stop pin 49. The stud and spring arrangement de- 30 scribed serves to keep the pawl yieldingly in either one of its extreme positions until it is positively shifted from that position by a tilting of the shoe 44.

A feeler so is pivoted to the machine at 51 in I a position to engage and to be interrupted in its movement by an article in the uppermost position of the pockets in the feeding wheel 26. An operating arm 52 is coupled to the feeler, and is connected by a link 53 with a rocker 54 pivoted to the machine frame at 55. A second link 56 connects this rocker with one arm 5'7 of a three armed lever pivoted to the frame at 58. The second arm 59 of this lever bears a roll 60 cooperating with a constantly rotating cam 61, while the third arm 62 is coupled to a stationary pin on the frame by a spring 63. It will be observed that the spring 63 moves the linkage in a direction to carry the feeler'50 towards the feeding wheel, and therefore 60 if an article is present the linkage stops and the roll 60 will not follow its cam until the latter moves sumciently to reverse the movement of the feeler and carry it again .away from the wheel. If no article is present the feeler will be carried by the spring to the limit of'motion permitted by the cam.

The arm 40 is set on the sleeve so that as the latter is brought to rest the arm will stop in the position shown in Fig. 1. One side of the shoe 44 is, in this position of the arm, closely adjacent the end of a contact piece 65 carried by the rocker 54. If the feeler strikes an article in its movement towards the feeding wheel the contact piece will stop short of the shoe 44. If, however, no article is in the upper pocket of the feeding wheel when the feeler descends, the contact piece will shift the shoe from the full line to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, drawing the pawl into its inactive position, also shown in dotted lines. Due to the toggle spring control between the pawl and shoe, the parts will remain in these positions until ,they are positively moved. In order to reset the shoe and pawl a pin is mounted on the frame in position to contact the rear side of the shoe (Fig. 3) if the shoe is in pawl disengaging position but to miss it otherwise.

Several points of interest appear from a consideration of the operation of the mechanism described. As long as articles are present in uninterrupted sequence in the feeding wheel, the pawl will remain engaged with the ratchet and. the shoe will be struck neither by the resetting pin nor by the contact piece 65. Only if no article is present in. a pocket is there any disturbance of the relation of the parts. In contrast with prior art devices, the disengagement and engagement "of the parts is accomplished with no appreciable shock. With the; apparatus of the present invention the arm 40 is' brought to rest at each cycle in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The feed rolls 30 are driven from this arm through ratchet 36, and when the arm stops, which it does positively due to its connection 'with the Geneva motion, the feed rolls will overrun it sufllciently to render the movement of the pawl 41 subject to substantially no resistance from the ratchet. This overrunning is not of course substantial, as the length of sheet fed out would thereby be made indeterminate, but the slightest excess movement is sufficient to free the pawl from any binding. It will also be observed that the operation of the contact piece 65 takes only a very short time since the operation of the toggle mechanism renders the shifting of the pawl instantaneous and permanent. It is not necessary to hold the contact piece in position until after the arm 40 has started its travel. This is of importance in case the articles a are of such a nature that contact with them by the feeler after the feeding wheel has started in motion would be likely to cause injury.

The device has been described in considerable detail in order to make clear the operation of the preferred form. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific construction shown, and that the details may be varied widely within the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for controlling the operation of a wrapping machine paper feed in accordance with v the presence or absence of an article to be wrapped, comprising an intermittently driven clutch member, and means responsive to the absence of an article for disengaging the clutch during its period of rest.

2. A device for controlling the operation of a wrapping machine paperfeed'in accordance with the presence or absence of an article to be wrapped, comprising wrapper feed mechanism, a

driven member having a driving notch therein and are mechanism, a driven member having adriving notch therein and connected to the feed mechanism to drive the same, a driving member, means to rotate the drivingmechanism intermittently, a driving pawl on the driving member, means for holding the driving pawl alternatively in or out of position to engage said driving notch, means responsive to the absence of an article and operative during the period of rest of the driving memf her to move the driving pawl out of its notch enga g. position, and means operative during the period of motion of the driving member for returning the driving pawl to a position to engage the notch as the driving member again starts up after its next period of rest.

4. A device for controlling the operation of a wrapping machine paper feed mechanism in accordance with the presence or absence of an article to be wrapped, comprising wrapper feed mechanism, a driven member having a driving notch therein and connected to the feed mechanism to drive the same, a driving member, means to retate the driving mechanism intermittently, a driv ing pawl on the driving member, a toggle spring holding the pawl alternatively in or out of position to engage the drivingnotch, a contact shoe connected to the pawl, means responsive to the absence. of an article andoperative during theperiod of rest of the driving member to engage the contact shoe and thereby shift the driving pawl out of its notch engaging position, and a eta tionary member engaging the contact shoe during its rotation only when it has been previously moved by said article responsive means to return the pawl to a position to engage the notch 'as the driving member again starts up after its next period of rest. w

. CARLTON .WEISEL. 

